Microsoft to Allow Clients to Create Autonomous AI Agents Starting Next Month
Starting next month, Microsoft will enable its clients to create autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) agents, furthering its efforts to capitalize on the growing demand for AI under pressure from investors due to its significant investments. Unlike chatbots, these autonomous agents require minimal human intervention and are designed as "applications for an AI-driven world." Their capabilities include managing customer requests, identifying sales opportunities, and managing inventory.
Microsoft has announced that starting in November, its clients will be able to use Copilot Studio, a low-code accessible application, to create AI agents in public preview. These agents will be developed using internal AI models and those from OpenAI. The company is also introducing 10 ready-to-use agents to manage common tasks such as supply chain management, expense tracking, and customer communications.
In a demonstration, McKinsey & Co., which had early access to the tools, developed an agent capable of managing customer requests by consulting interaction history, selecting the appropriate consultant, and scheduling follow-up meetings.
Concerns have emerged in recent months about the slow adoption of Copilot. In August, research firm Gartner reported that a survey of 152 IT organizations indicated that most had not progressed their Copilot initiatives beyond the pilot phase.
